By Chanda Temple
The year was 1991, and Germaine Robinson had just undergone a mastectomy. As doctors started to remove the bandages, questions filled her head.
“Would men be attracted to me?”
“How will my clothes fit?”
But soon, a 22-year-old Germaine had an epiphany that set the tone for the rest of her life: “If they can’t love me without it, then it wasn’t meant to be.”
The world did not end after Germaine lost her left breast that day. In fact, life, somewhat, started again. Six months after chemo, Germaine went on a first date. Other dates followed.
“I didn’t have anybody reject me because of the surgery” she said.
She admits that having a positive outlook after having a mastectomy took a long time, but she eventually got there. “I had to live a life and not go through life worried about what people would think,” she said.
“I believe in God, and I believe that each step that I went through, He was there with me.”
After breast cancer, Germaine went on to become a mother to two daughters. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in her late 20s, and a master’s degree in her late 30s.
One person always on standby to fix things around the house, cut her grass and even bring her food, even the Manager’s Special (wings and fries that are “all the way,” and fired green tomatoes) from Green Acres in Birmingham, was a friend from childhood.
He and Germaine were “just” friends, until they weren’t.
This year marks four years that they’ve been married. “He tells me that he loves me, and that I’m beautiful,” she said.
For others wondering if love will find you after breast cancer surgery, Germaine said the main thing to remember is to love yourself first. Then, watch what happens.
“Go through the process,… and at the end, you are whole,” said Germaine, now 56.
NOTE: In America, one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I will be profiling one female breast cancer survivor each day in October 2025. The stories will also highlight a food from a Birmingham, AL restaurant or food vendor they liked at some point during their breast cancer journey or today. The series is called “SurviveHer at the Table: Food. Faith. Fight.”
Each story posted this month is the opinion of the survivor, with a goal to increase awareness about early detection and treatment for breast cancer. Readers should consult with their physician for medical and health advice and their nutritionist for healthy eating tips. Links to area resources will be shared in future posts this month.
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
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